Rohrabacher: Do what’s right

It would be impossible to charge Rep. Dana Rohrabacher with disloyalty.

Lack of good judgment; missing the point; failing to serve those he represents -- none of those appears to be such a stretch.

Rohrabacher last week went against the political stream (something he frequently does) in not denouncing lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who on Jan. 4 pleaded guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud and also has acknowledged he defrauded four Native American tribes out of tens of millions of dollars. Abramoff’s ties to at least a dozen unnamed Washington politicians threatens to cause a mushrooming ethics scandal not seen in Washington for decades.

Rohrabacher likely isn’t one of those politicians, but that’s not the interest, or import, of his relationship with Abramoff. The two have been friends for almost 30 years, and Rohrabacher, while denouncing Abramoff’s actions, isn’t taking the next, and necessary, step. “I have condemned Jack for his illegal activities and his legal-but-less-than-ethical behavior,” the Republican told the Pilot. “But I have refused to call him a monster and abuse him personally when he is down and out. I’m not on top of the corpse of my friend, beating my chest and trying to convince others that he is not my friend.”

The trouble with Rohrabacher’s statement is simple: He should be. While loyalty is an admirable characteristic, Rohrabacher’s first charge as a congressman is serving his constituents to the best of his ability. Refusing to distance himself from a disgraced lobbyist -- one who is now the very model of what’s wrong with how politics works in the nation’s capitol -- and setting himself firmly above the fray is not what’s best for the people of Costa Mesa and the rest of Rohrabacher’s district.

What’s best for them is this: Rohrabacher needs to convince his constituents that he is indeed far above the dregs that exist inside “the Beltway.” He needs to ensure us all that he finds what Abramoff and others like him have done to be deplorable. He needs to make it clear that, while he’s long been a friend of Abramoff’s, for his sake and the sake of those he represents he has to put some distance between them.

Rohrabacher simply owes more to his constituents than to his old friend.